Leg unit for a wearable sitting posture assisting device

Abstract

A leg unit for a wearable sitting posture assisting device, comprises an upper support designed to receive a weight force of a person, a lower support designed to transmit the person's weight force to a ground, a joint connecting the at least two supports to each other, and a blocking means implementing a blocked state to block the joint at at least one sitting angle corresponding to an at least partly sitting posture, the leg unit comprising a guiding means for the blocking means, which guiding means is designed to allow a rotation of the joint while the blocking means is in the blocked state, to a wearable sitting posture assisting device, comprising two of these leg units, and to a method to block such a wearable sitting posture assisting device in an at least partly sitting posture.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A leg unit for a wearable sitting posture assisting device, comprising:
 an upper support designed to receive a weight force of a person, a lower support designed to transmit the weight force of the person to a ground, a joint connecting the at least two supports to each other, a blocking means implementing a blocked state to block the joint at at least one sitting angle corresponding to an at least partly sitting posture, and 
 a guiding means for the blocking means designed to allow a rotation of the joint while the blocking means is in the blocked state, wherein 
 the blocking means has an adjustable length provided to define the at least partly sitting posture. 
 
     
     
       2. The leg unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the blocked state, the length of the blocking means is at least substantially fixed. 
 
     
     
       3. The leg unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 one of the supports comprises a pivot element, on which the blocking means is swivel-mounted. 
 
     
     
       4. The leg unit according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the guiding means comprises at least one end stop provided to limit the rotation of the joint to the sitting angle which the blocking means is adjusted to, and comprising 
 an expansion element which is provided to tension the blocking means between the end stop of the guiding means and the pivot element. 
 
     
     
       5. The leg unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the guiding means comprises at least one end stop provided to limit the rotation of the joint to the sitting angle which the blocking means is adjusted to. 
 
     
     
       6. The leg unit according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the guiding means comprises at least one linear guide designed to connect the blocking means and one of the supports with each other, wherein 
 the linear guide comprises at least one contacting surface, which is provided for the blocking means and serves as the end stop provided for limiting the rotation of the joint. 
 
     
     
       7. The leg unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the guiding means is provided for reducing the sitting angle. 
 
     
     
       8. The leg unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the guiding means comprises at least one linear guide designed to connect the blocking means and one of the supports with each other. 
 
     
     
       9. The leg unit according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the guiding means comprises a guiding element, which is pivotably connected to one of the supports, providing the linear guide for the blocking means. 
 
     
     
       10. The leg unit according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the linear guide has a main extension direction orientated in parallel to a main extension direction of the blocking means. 
 
     
     
       11. The leg unit according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the blocking means comprises at least two blocking elements, wherein one of them is swivel-mounted on one of the supports and another one of them is linearly movable connected with the guiding element. 
 
     
     
       12. The leg unit according to  claim 8 , wherein
 one of the supports comprises a base frame providing the linear guide, by which the blocking means is connected to the support movably and pivotably. 
 
     
     
       13. A wearable sitting posture assisting device, comprising two leg units according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. A method to block a wearable sitting posture assisting device in an at least partly sitting posture, comprising:
 providing a leg unit for the wearable sitting posture assisting device that comprises an upper support designed to receive a weight force of a person, a lower support designed to transmit the weight force of the person to a ground, a joint connecting the at least two supports to each other, a blocking means that implements a blocked state to block the joint at at least one sitting angle corresponding to the at least partly sitting posture, and a guiding means for the blocking means designed to allow a rotation of the joint while the blocking means is in the blocked state, wherein the blocking means has an adjustable length provided to define the at least partly sitting posture; 
 blocking, via the blocking means, the joint in the at least partly sitting posture, the joint connecting the upper support to the lower support; and 
 allowing a rotation of the joint while the blocking means is in the blocked state via the guiding means for the blocking means. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising
 providing a further leg unit.